Gold:
West 6th Avenue Viaduct RehabSubmitted by Edward Kraemer & Sons Inc.
The West 6th Avenue Viaduct Rehabilitation completely removed and replaced the substructure elements of the westbound viaduct in Denver. Also included were replacement of three expansion joints, improvements to drainage and replacing 900 sq yd of bridge deck on the eastbound viaduct.
The many challenges included working with limited vertical clearance within an active railroad maintenance facility and in close proximity to live light-rail tracks, managing traffic throughout construction and lifting the bridge to rest on temporary and new permanent structures.
The contractor teamed with American Piledriving Equipment, Stockton, Calif., to find the right equipment. Since limited clearance prevented the use of cranes for materials hoisting, the team used a 20-kip forklift for hoisting, and design systems light enough to be handled without using overhead cranes.
Denver
$5.9 million
Owner: City and County of Denver
Contractor: Edward Kraemer & Sons Inc.
Engineer: URS Corp.
Among the Subcontractors: NPW Contracting, WHL, American Barricade, Premier Paving, Zylstra Baker Surveying, Rocky Mountain Reinforcing, American Infrastructure, American Piledriving Equipment
Start: Jan. 2008 Finish: Oct. 2009
Silver:
Interstate 25 and Plum Creek ParkwaySubmitted by Edward Kraemer & Sons Inc.
The project constructed a new interchange at I-25 and Plum Creek Parkway; widened 2.5 miles of interstate; removed and replaced concrete paving; constructed five new bridge structures, one temporary bridge, roadway lighting, signing and landscaping.
Challenges included a compressed work schedule, a heavily traveled corridor, environmentally sensitive location, poor existing soil conditions and adjacent construction activities.
Despite two delays totaling 43 days early in the project, the roadway was open to traffic before the original completion date. One of the primary challenges was completing the earthwork while dealing with confined work areas with limited access and the poor soils encountered during excavation.
Castle Rock, Colo.
$33.1 million
Owners: Colorado Dept. of Transportation, Town of Castle Rock
Contractor: Edward Kraemer & Sons Inc.
Engineers: AECOM, PBS&J, HDR, Felsburg Holt & Ullevig
Among the Subcontractors: Horn Construction, American Infrastructure, Ross Electric, Interstate Highway Construction Co. Inc., Schmidt Construction Co., Rocky Mountain Signing
Start: April 2008 Finish: May 2010
Bronze:
18th Street Pedestrian BridgeSubmitted by Edward Kraemer & Sons Inc.
The pedestrian bridge at 18th Street in the Central Platte Valley opened March 5, providing a second connecting point to Riverfront Park and Commons Park from Union Station and Lower Downtown.
The bridge is a 170-ft-long span with a copper-clad elevator tower at each end. It was financed by the Central Platte Valley Metropolitan District through mill levies on Central Platte Valley property owners east of the Consolidated Main Line.
The bridge spans the CML, which serves the Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Railroads and RTD light rail. Before its completion, the only bridge over the CML was the Millennium Bridge, recognized by the iconic mast that towers above it.
Denver
$4.4 million
Owner: Central Platte Valley Metropolitan District
Contractor: Edward Kraemer & Sons Inc.
Architect: OZ Architecture
Engineers: 68 West Engineering Inc., S.A. Miro Inc., ABS Consultants
Among the Subcontractors: Accurate Engineering, Covarrubias Construction Services Inc., Black Roofing, Eatherton Masonry, LMS Drilling, Metropolitan Glass, Parker Steel, Plaza Construction, WL Contractors, Frontier Mechanical, NPW Contracting, Coating Specialist, ThyssenKrupp Elevator, Rock and Co.
Start: Jan. 2009 Finish: March 2010
